That's why
by JemilyDay
Summary: It is Bill and Fleur's wedding, the summer after Halfblood prince. What will happen to our favourite romances? This is what I wanted to happen for RonHermione and HarryGinny.Please R & R!


The sun rose slowly over the crooked little house, casting it into a puddle of primrose and orange streams of light. Several chickens were feebly clucking around and a rooster loudly announced that it was morning time.

"Ron! Quit hogging the bathroom!" a female with long, red hair screeched loudly from one of the upper floors of the house.

The boy called Ron emerged, clad only in a baggy pair of maroon pyjama bottoms with his hair sticking up oddly at the back, rubbing his eyes and grumbling under his breath.

However, he stopped speaking abruptly and stared dazedly as a girl with bushy brown hair, wearing a pair of blue checked flannel pyjamas, emerged from Ginny's bedroom.

"Morning Ginny." She said brightly as she passed the open door of the bathroom, where Ginny was brushing her teeth. Ginny managed the best 'Good morning' that she could, with her mouth full of water.

"Morning Ronald." Hermione said, in what she clearly thought was exactly the same tone. To everyone else who were staying at the Burrow that summer, as well as everyone at Hogwarts, and possibly the rest of the Wizarding world; it was completely obvious that Ron and Hermione were mad about each other, and probably had been, deep down, since their first year. The only people, who weren't entirely sure of Ron and Hermione's feelings, were in fact, Ron and Hermione.

Ron gave her a small smile and her cheeks went slightly pink as her shoulder brushed lightly past his bare torso. With that, the stupor was broken. Ron went back to yawning and Hermione clattered down the stairs to offer to help Mrs Weasley get breakfast ready.

Twenty minutes later, Ron and another boy about the same age with rumpled black hair and green eyes, walked down the same rickety staircase that Hermione had clattered down earlier.

Ron coughed awkwardly before he started "So…Harry…taking anyone to the wedding?"

He wished he hadn't said it as soon as he saw the evident pain in Harry's eyes.

"Uh…no." He had been trying very hard not to think about a certain female redhead, which was very hard as she was constantly in his presence, dancing and laughing and making him fall in love with her all over again. "Why? Are you?"

Ron rubbed his ear.

"No, no…"

Harry tried not to laugh.

"Because I don't think Hermione's going with anyone, why don't you…?" Harry trailed off suggestively.

"Hermione! What ever put that idea..? I mean…"

Harry suppressed a grin as they entered the kitchen. His eyes found Ginny straight away, where she was sitting eating a piece of toast and smiling at something her mother had just said. He sat down hurriedly next to Mr Weasley at the other end of the table, turned his back on her and started a conversation about computer chips.

He may have thought Ginny had been fine since their break-up; She had certainly not shown any upset and had been as lively as ever, but it wasn't the case. Her eyes flickered sadly over Harry, with his back to her for a second, before laughing about something again.

Ron rubbed the back of his neck nervously before sitting down next to Hermione. She turned towards him and smiled.

"Orange juice?" she asked, after pouring herself a glassful.

Ron opened his mouth to say that he would indeed like some orange juice, when the twins plonked themselves on the bench opposite them.

"Aw George, doesn't it get to you?" Said Fred

"It makes me all teary."

"Young love." They sighed together.

Hermione hurriedly started playing with her porridge with her spoon.

"Shut your mouths." Said Ron, who had gone red, not just on his ears and neck, but everywhere.

"We thought you'd lost your chance for a while there Ron." Said George.

"What with Lavender and all." Said Fred.

Hermione dropped her spoon with a clatter.

"But we're glad the two of you have finally come to your senses."

Ron had gone even redder.

"Me and Hermione aren't a couple, you gits."

Ginny looked over comfortingly at Hermione at this sentence.

Mrs Weasley turned around from where she was magically stirring pancake batter with her wand and swatted Fred and George on the back of their heads.

"You two! Leave Ron and Hermione alone."

"But they…" started Fred.

Mrs Weasley shot them a warning look.

"And Ron…you use that language again and you won't be allowed on your Cleansweep for a week."

The wedding of Bill and Fleur was to be that afternoon and the Burrow was absolutely hectic.

"Ron! Be careful carrying those- they're delicate! Ginny, what are you doing down here? You're meant to be having your dress fitted upstairs! Fleur, dear, let me do that, you go and be with Bill." Mrs Weasley said in one breath. The garden had been de-gnomed, enlarged, decorated with fairies and a large silk marquee had been erected in its place.

Harry had been told to send Hermione down, to fix some kind of tear in Fleur's veil. He knocked on the door of Ginny's room, which Hermione was staying in and opened it a crack. Ginny was standing in front of her mirror, inspecting herself in her pale gold bridesmaid's robes. Her red hair was curled and fell freely around her face.

Harry gasped. He had managed not to be alone with Ginny for the entire time he had been staying at the burrow so far and was not keen to test the strength of his resolve, especially when she looked so beautiful.

"Sorry." He mumbled, and turned to leave.

"Is this how it's going to be from now on?"

He turned towards her. She was staring very hard at the floor.

"Ginny, we can't be together. You know that."

"Yeah, I know. I told myself I was going to let you come around on your own but I can't."

Harry looked away. It pained him to see her so miserable – because of him.

"I've already told you. I can't put you in danger. The danger that comes with being with me."

Ginny's head snapped up, her eyes blazing.

"I choose to be with you. I choose to put myself in danger. Can't you respect my decision?"

Harry looked into Ginny's eyes that were so wide and full of love for him.

"No." He said simply and walked away.

"Ronald! You're folding them wrong!"

Ron clenched his teeth and looked up. He and Hermione had been assigned the task of folding napkins and placing them on the tables and Hermione was making it even more difficult.

"What exactly is wrong with the way I'm folding them?" he asked sharply.

Since Ron had been poisoned, things had been good between Ron and Hermione. They hadn't talked about their relationship. Nothing had happened, but there was an 'us.' Ron was trying to screw up enough courage to ask her to come with him to the wedding. Officially. As his date. The thought of standing there asking her this, made him want to shrivel up and die somewhere.

"Because, Ronald, this is not a picnic. It is a wedding."

Ron glared down at her. She was very small compared to him and her hair was frizzing about her face with electricity.

He grabbed her arm, which she had been using to refold all of his napkins.

"I need to talk to you."

She gave him a frosty stare.

"All right."

Ron led Hermione into the kitchen, next to the fireplace, which was one of the only places, for the minute, which was free of the pre-wedding hustle and bustle.

Hermione turned and looked up at Ron. She wondered vaguely why he had gone red and started itching his ear.

"Hermione." He started. "We've been friends for a long time now, haven't we?"

"I suppose that's one word for it." Hermione said stiffly.

"Well…I was just wondering if…maybe you would like…."Ron trailed off miserably.

"Yes?" Hermione prompted. Suddenly, she seemed a little shy and quiet herself.

Ron reached out and tucked a strand of Hermione's wild hair behind her ear, which made her turn red to the roots of her hair.

He started to lean slowly forwards…

"You two!" Said Mr Weasley loudly, causing Ron and Hermione to jump several metres apart, both staring at their shoes. "Why aren't you helping? Molly won't be happy."

At this, Mrs Weasley, Harry and Bill all came in.

"Out of the way of the fireplace." Said Mrs Weasley briskly. "Some of our guests are arriving by Floo powder a little early."

Ron shyly grabbed Hermione's hand as they stumbled backwards, which caused a smirk from both Harry and Bill and a satisfied smile from Mrs Weasley.

The flames in the fireplace started roaring, and there was a loud thump. As the ash that had raced out of the fireplace began to clear, everyone in the room recognised a familiar hawk-like profile.

Fleur swept in.

"Ah, Viktor! I vas so pleased you could make eet."

Hermione was smiling at this surprise visit from her old friend. Harry looked quickly toward Ron, who was staring at the happy expression on Hermione's face at seeing Krum again. He dropped her hand as thought it was burning him and walked out.

As the guests started to apparate in throngs, Harry changed into his dress robes and found a seat in the middle of the groom's side of the seating. Hermione sat to his right, in a very pretty bluey-green dress with her hair in loose curls. Krum was sitting to Hermione's right and he kept trying to engage her in conversation. Harry couldn't help noticing that Hermione was looking very upset about something and was craning her neck, trying to look over the crowds, for something, or someone.

The wedding procession began and Ron walked down the aisle clumsily, with an expression like a storm cloud. He looked over to where Krum was whispering something in Hermione's ear. Hermione looked desperately over to Ron, who upon making eye contact with her, clenched his jaw and looked towards the front. Hermione audibly sighed and sank back into her chair tiredly.

Then came the part that Harry was most dreading. Ginny walked gracefully down the aisle, her dress robes billowing behind her. She, too, had an unhappy expression on her face and refused to look in Harry's direction. Harry, on the other hand, couldn't take his eyes off her for the whole service. He only came out of his daze when everyone started applauding. Hermione nudged him with her elbow. She appeared to be crying and Krum was offering a tissue to her, which she took. Bill and Fleur ran down the aisle jubilantly. Despite his scars, Bill still managed to look handsome. Probably because he was so alight with love.

Harry found a spot at a table as far away from the dance floor as possible and Ron sank down in the chair next to him, staring as Hermione absentmindedly twirled around the dance floor with Krum.

Harry searched for something to say that wasn't Krum related.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" He asked, thinking of the ceremony and the garden.

Ron nodded, tight jawed, not taking his eyes off Hermione.

Harry shrugged, as Ginny and Hermione made their way over to them.

"Ron?" said Hermione timidly. He looked past her. "Ahem…would you dance with me?"

"What, tired of Vicky?" He snarled. But he got up and allowed himself to be led away, regardless.

Ginny didn't say anything but sat down next to Harry, in Ron's vacated seat, jiggling her foot in time to the music.

"Ginny…would you like to dance?"

Ginny looked startled.

"But, I thought…"

"Hey. We're friends, aren't we? And friends can dance at weddings."

Ginny sighed resignedly.

"Sure. Friends."

And with that they walked to where all of the other couples were swaying, and began to dance.

Hermione put her arms around Ron's neck, somewhat awkwardly, and began to sway in time to the music. She pulled away after several moments and looked up at him.

"Ron?"

"What?" He snapped.

"What in heck is wrong with you?"

"What's wrong with me? What's wrong with you?" He was shouting now. "Why are you bloody dancing with me anyway? Hey, Vicky's just a few feet away. Why not ask him?"

Hermione looked on the verge of tears, but shouted as loudly as she could nonetheless.

"Vicky, I mean Viktor is just my friend! And what would it matter if we were romantically linked, anyways?! Why don't you tell me why it would matter?! Why do you care?!"

Neither of them seemed to have noticed that the band had stopped playing, nor that every eye in the garden was on them.

Ron opened his mouth angrily again, then shut it. For a split second, he just stood there, looking at her, with a completely different look on his face.

He took her face in his hands and crashed his lips against hers, kissing her with fury and frustration…but with more love than either of them knew he was capable of.

After several long moments, he pulled away.

"That's why." He said quietly.

Everyone in the garden was still, waiting to see Hermione's reaction. Even the twins were looking slightly shell-shocked and quietly watching.

Hermione blinked a few times and touched her lips as though she couldn't quite believe it had happened. She looked up at Ron, who was standing there nervously, as though he was waiting to be hit.

"Come here, you pillock."

And she put her arms around his neck and kissed him. They both pulled away after a little while and looked around at the same time to see everyone in the garden grinning.

"Took you long enough!" One of the twins shouted and everyone laughed. Ron smiled down at Hermione, who took the hand he offered her and with that, they walked together until they were out of view.

The band began to play again and Ginny smiled at Harry as they danced.

"I'm glad they finally got there." She said. "But how long did it take them, the idiots?"

Harry laughed as Ginny buried her face against his chest.

"Come inside for a moment?" he asked

Ginny nodded.

The minute they entered the burrow, Harry kissed her.

"I've been an idiot Ginny. It's like McGonagall said…'Dumbledore would have been happy knowing there was a little more love in the world.' "

Ginny half laughed, half cried.

"You are an idiot. But at least you're my idiot."

She sank into his arms, and as Harry breathed in the familiar flowery scent of her hair, he knew that whatever happened, right now, he was home.


End file.
